Echo
by Full Deck
Summary: The sequl to My December. I had no plans for a happy ending to it, but here it is.


**Title: Echo**

**Author: Gabriel Zed**

**Disclaimer: I don't own 'em I just torture them a bit.**

**Summary: The happy ending to My December**

**Author's Notes: I wasn't planning on doing this. But, I was up last night (oh, that's news) and this wandered around in my head. It wouldn't go away. Now ya'll get to pay for it. Insomnia is fun.**

Christmas Eve. It felt like any other day of the week. It started cold and boring and ended cold and boring, with random bouts of chilly and tedium in between. Sara's days in Boston had begun to blend together.

Sara no longer noticed when people spoke to her, not that she cared. She did her job, she went home. That was it. Her co-workers had recently given up on trying to get her to do anything else.

Catherine wouldn't have given up. Neither would have Nick or Warrick. And certainly not Grissom.

Grissom…

Sara had stopped paying attention to the news 10 minutes ago. The same stories that she had heard at 5 o'clock anyway. Most of them she had gory details on the news would never print. She preferred to stare at the only other sign of life in her place.

Her Christmas tree was still not decorated, though there were a few cards under it. Mostly from family, but one had been from Las Vegas. It was easily distinguished from the pile around it as it was particularly beaten. As though it had been read and reread and reread, which it had.

She wanted to go back so badly. She wanted to see her friends, Catherine and Nick and Warrick and even Greg. She wanted to see Grissom. To be warm again, not from the desert, but from being near him.

Grissom, she felt something just from the thought of his name. She felt a deep, unyielding longing. She wanted more than anything to hold him, kiss him, to tell him how much she loved him. Right then though, she would have settled for just seeing him.

She felt herself jump at the sound of a chime. The doorbell, she hadn't heard it in a while. Sara blinked, shaking her head of the cobwebs and proceeded to the door.

She opened it not bothering to check and see who it was. She didn't care. It wouldn't be who she wanted.

Sara stared blatantly at the person on her doorstep. Tall, with dark gray hair, luminous blue eyes, and a bright red poinsettia under his arm.

"Happy holidays, Sara," he said, extending the plant to her.

Sara's jaw pumped a few times before working correctly.

"I thought you weren't one for holidays. Grissom," she managed to reply, finally accepting the plant.

"I'm not, but no point ion being alone on one if you don't have to be," he said, "Can I come in? It's cold out here."

She found it rather warm actually, "Yes, of course, when did you get in?"

"Two hours ago," he said, looking around, as she placed her present on the kitchen counter, "I was expecting more plant life."

"Yes, well, they didn't take to the cold."

"You didn't appear to either," he replied, looking over the thick shirt and pants she was wearing.

"It's all right," she lied.

All Grissom did was flash his beautiful crooked grin, and Sara knew he could see right through her. The patient, warm look in his eyes made Sara's heart beat faster, and she fought back a blush.

"You want something to drink?" she asked, looking at the floor, forcing her pulse to slow, "I've got…tea and water. That's about it."

"Tea's fine," he replied, spotting the picture over the tree, "I remember that day…"

She could almost see his mind going into replay. Catherine calling all four of them into the break room where she laid in wait with Greg holding a camera. The blonde positioning each of them perfectly, like in a family photo, wrapping Grissom's arm around Sara's shoulders. Sara couldn't help thinking about how little Grissom had protested.

"It was a memorable day," she replied.

He was probably thinking about the triple homicide that had come in, not The Letter. The letter from Boston, offering her a job. It was also the day when he had begun giving her more than just a cold shoulder, she probably could have made an ice sculpture from it. A nice swan to go with the big chip. His attitude had hit her out of nowhere.

That was the day the downward spiral, that chased her all the way here, had begun.

He faced her from across the room, the look in his eyes, melted any animosity she had been harboring along with the rest of her, "Sara…I wanted to say…I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. For my behavior before you left. You never deserved that."

She didn't have a reply to that, she didn't need one. It was written all over her face, she had forgiven him for that a long time ago.

The two fall into a comfortable silence. Each had their own thoughts and memories. Mostly about the other person in the room. They each enjoyed the presence of the other. No conversation was necessary. Just presence.

Sara brought him his tea.

"You didn't decorate your tree," he noted offhandedly.

"No, I kept having flashbacks to 'Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown'. You know, where he puts the ornament on and it wilts."

His lip twitched in amusement. Sara tried not to laugh at the thought of Grissom watching "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown". She found herself almost giddy being this close to him. He was so comfortable, and warm, and…God, she loved being near him.

She felt his eyes on her and looked up to meet them. The look in his eyes was one she couldn't identify…Oh, how she loved those eyes.

"Do you like it here?" he asked.

'No!' she wanted to scream, but what came out was, "What?"

"Do you like it here?"

"It's not Vegas," she replied, forcing herself to look away from him.

From those eyes she risked loosing herself in.

"That's not an answer," he said, "Is this where you want to be?"

"Right now, it is," she said.

Sara wanted to be anywhere he was.

Sara could see this was not the answer he wanted. That he was hoping for. That he flew all this way to get. It occurred to her, maybe he wasn't the only one unaware of a beating heart in his hands. Did she have his?

She found herself looking at her hands, almost willing that to be true.

"Do you want me back in Vegas?"

"Yes," he replied, honestly.

"Even after what I said?"

"You were right," he said, in a tone that said she should have figured that out by now, "I was a bastard…I just…"

Sara could tell that this was something he had wanted to say since he arrived, "Just what?"

Grissom indicated the picture, "Catherine could see it… and I didn't want anyone else to."

"See what?" she asked, half wary and half hopeful of the answer.

She looked up at him, the strange look in his eyes, causing her heart to leap into her throat, as he worked his jaw a few times, before giving up and turning away.

She stepped in front of him, "Gris, what is it?"

Grissom look softly down on her. A gaze that caused her knees to weaken and her heart to race.

"I want you to come back to Vega, Sara, but if I am your supervisor again…I can't do this," in one swift motion Grissom pulled her too him and kissed her.

His lips played over hers with a hunger and ferocity that came from years of repressed emotions and needs. Feelings and need that washed over both of them. Sara melted against him, painfully aware of all the paces their bodies touched, from his palms on her back, to her thigh against his.

She never wanted this moment to end.

Unfortunately, human beings need air. They pulled away slightly, still clinging to each other as a life line, trying to catch their breath.

"Gris," Sara said, listening to his accelerated heartbeat and knowing hers was doing the same, "What they don't know, can't hurt us."

Grissom pulled his arms tighter around her.

"When you're right, you're right."

They kissed again, gentler this time, but with all the emotion and passion, and Sara pulled him toward the bedroom.

She'd hand in her resignation tomorrow, if she had the chance. But leaving the apartment might not come up, for either her or Gris. It was Christmas after all. This had to be the best present ever.

Ok, folks. That's it, nothing more to see here. I know the title doesn't make any sense, but it comes from an Incubus song that always reminds me of these two. Guess what it's called. Goes as follows:

There's something about the look in your eyes  
Something I noticed when the light was just right  
It reminded me twice that I was alive  
And it reminded me that you're so worth the fight  
  
My biggest fear will be the rescue of me  
Strange how it turns out that way, yeah  
Could you show me dear?  
Something I've not seen  
Something infinitely interesting  
Could you show me dear?  
Something I've not seen  
Something infinitely interesting  
  
There's something about the way you move  
I see your mouth in slow motion when you sing  
More subtle than something someone contrives  
Your movements echo that I have seen the real thing  
  
Your biggest fear will be the rescue of you  
Strange how it turns out that way, yeah  
Could you show me dear?  
Something I've not seen  
Something infinitely interesting  
Could you show me dear?  
Something I've not seen  
Something infinitely interesting

**I love that song.**


End file.
